It is widely observed that two television sets or monitors are combined as one unit in a back-to-back relationship with respect to one another so as to enable viewers to have opposite standing views. This arrangement can be found in railway stations, hospitals, bus stations, and similar locations. For such applications, a single monitor or a television set with two display panels combined back-to-back would be most appropriate. Several devices are found in the prior art which provide the desired double functionality, but they are not specifically designed for the described applications.
U.S. Patent Application No. 2002/0109662 to Miller discloses a dual screen computer output display comprising two display panels which can be placed in different viewing positions, one of which includes a back-to-back position. The display is primarily designed to be integrated with a laptop.
U.S. Patent Application No. 2003/0142469 to Ponx discloses a double screen laptop which employs first and second display screens that are to be positioned in a back-to-back relationship with respect to each another. The laptop is ideal for business presentations, where the presenter can view the first screen while operating the laptop and the viewer can view the second screen while being seated opposite to the presenter.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,094,341 to Lin discloses a notebook computer comprising first and second displays, which are pivoted together. The first and second displays can be folded back-to-back so that oppositely seated people can view the same image at the same time through the first and second displays.
Although the art disclosed above present two display screens or panels which can be positioned in a back-to-back relation, none of them enables a viewer to view two different video signals or images at the same. Also, all the display screens or panels that are described here are designed to be coupled with laptops and similar devices, but not as a conventional video monitor or a television set with two back-to-back display panels.
It is an objective of the present invention to provide a system that accepts video inputs from as many as four separate sources. It is a further objective to provide such a system that will display any two of these inputs on each of two back-to-back screens. It is a still further objective of the invention to provide the ability for a user of such a system to select the input he wishes to view in each screen at any time. Finally, it is an objective of the present invention to provide such apparatus that is durable, inexpensive and easy to use.
While some of the objectives of the present invention are disclosed in the prior art, none of the inventions found include all of the requirements identified.